Tea Stains and Searching
by Treecko Girl
Summary: Set one year after 'Tea Stains and Babysitting'. Amelia Jones faces drastic change as Arthur is nowhere to be found. What raises her suspicion is the fact that his disappearance has meant that his brother, Colin, has gained control of the family business. Amelia decides to search for answers, but more importantly, for Arthur. fem!America
1. Chapter 1

**Hello. I was going to continue the other Tea Stains story, but it has indeed been so long that the character of Amelia has grown a lot in my mind, and so I put her in a sequel. I am sorry to all those who were waiting for my updates. I have been writing other things – original fiction – and fanfiction had been pushed way back in my mind. I am very sorry and all I can hope for is forgiveness and readers. **

**Anyway, this story is a little different… I only hope I don't make a balls up of it. I'm not used to writing this kind of plot.**

**Thank you and please enjoy~**

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Amelia lay on the bed, watching the world pass slowly outside her window. She spied a spider on a web, clinging to the invisible thread of its home as it watched a fly hover dangerously close to the trap. It became snagged and the spider charged forward. Amelia could almost see its hungry fangs as it trapped the prey in a cocoon of web and drag it to the corner for a feast.

She did not care for spiders much, nor flies. She simply watched nature as it progressed. It seemed to do better than she was. She sat up, listening to the irritating creaks of the wooden bedframe below her. She made to smooth out her dress, but refrained, and got up and walked barefoot to the mirror. She was wearing something that only a year previously she would not have been seen dead in. It was a light pink dress decorated with frills and ribbons of light blue. Her hair was clipped back in a neat little ponytail which allowed some of the strands to escape around her ears.

God, she hated herself. Her hair had grown out so that it was reaching below her shoulders. It was still the same sandy blonde she had a year ago, though. Some things didn't change at least. She pressed her fingertips against the cool mirror. The shudder ran though her and rattled her bones. She withdrew her fingers.

There was noise downstairs, and Amelia knew that people were beginning to arrive. So many people would start filling the house for a business gathering, but it would certainly lack the one person she wished to see. Someone she had not seen in months.

Arthur had disappeared around the time his older brother, Colin, had arrived back from Scotland earlier in the year after training at a special college there. Arthur had never spoken much of his brother, but when he did, it was brief and void of any detail. Amelia had never pressured him to provide detail because she was not overly keen on hearing about him, but now it seemed that she wanted to know all there was to know about this older brother. This older brother who had managed to take over his family's business.

Colin had been in Scotland studying a course Amelia had never quite caught the name of. It was something beyond her interest – a course related to the field of technology, but what narrow path within that field, she did not know. She thought of the lack of detail in Arthur's accounts of his brother. She had gathered the idea that they were not on the best of terms, but it was an idea she had kept behind firm lips.

There were things she had gathered, however, through Arthur, his father, his mother or even through snippets of her own parents' talks. The past year had been full, and Amelia remembered it.

Arthur and Amelia had told their parents of their relationship, which went smoother than Amelia could have ever guessed or hoped. Her parents in particular voiced their happy wishes. Arthur's parents accepted it with their typical, quiet happiness. Amelia received a hug from Arthur's mother. The company that Arthur's father ran took an upturn when a wealthy investor came on board. Things seemed to be going well, and then Mr Kirkland took ill. His illness was more serious than initially anticipated, and it knocked him back. He recovered some months later, but the effects of the illness still lingered like a shadow, and the company took a toll. It was still making money, but without its leader in full control, the company was not at the height it was so used to. Arthur's father would at first not accept that it was perhaps time to hand the company over to the next in line, but after he realised the company was beginning to really suffer, he decided that it was time to pass the baton over.

This would not happen for a few weeks, however, and during that time, Colin was contacted about the situation and he got the first flight from Scotland straight home. He arrived to see how his father was doing – things must have been bad if his father was actually handing over the company, he had said – and according to Amelia's father, it was not long after Colin's arrival that the contracts were drawn up, ready to be signed by Arthur's father and Arthur himself.

Arthur was always due to take over the company after his father even though he was the younger of the two brothers. He had shown more potential in the field of business, and it had seemingly been agreed that Arthur would take over the business after his father, but that was not supposed to be for many years later. The illness, unsurprisingly, was not something expected.

The morning of the paper-signing arrived, and the Kirklands were getting ready to witness the business being handed over to the next generation.

That was the morning Arthur Kirkland was nowhere to be found.

The business was signed over to Colin Kirkland after receiving word that Arthur did not want it. Word that he had never wanted it and that Colin was the rightful owner. Arthur never told them where he was, and he never told them why.

It was the two latter facts that crept around Amelia's head. She could not understand why. She could not understand Arthur's thinking when he simply disappeared. Was he truly that opposed to taking on the business? Was he scared? If that was the case, why did he do such a thing to avoid it?

Colin had always said, according to Arthur, that he never really cared about taking over the business, and this was something Arthur had accepted. Amelia had never seen him display any grievances about taking over the business. Even when the passing over was announced, Arthur seemed more willing than anything. He wanted to not only help his father, but his business. Amelia always thought – knew – that Arthur had the head for running a company even at his young age.

But still Arthur disappeared.

But still Arthur…

Amelia placed a hand over her face and groaned into it. She felt the fabric of her dress move against her body. For a brief moment that passed like an uncertain whisper, she felt Arthur's hand over her skin. She looked back up only to see herself staring back with lonely blue eyes.

Someone called her from downstairs. The gathering had begun. She smoothed out her dress again, feeling the fabric try to cling to her sweat-coated palms. She glanced down, glad it left no residue.

Even with something missing, Amelia still had to show up. She swore to herself and opened the door of her room. She felt as though she was leaving the comfort of a loved one's arms and she walked down the stairs.

There were several people gathered in the hall, but one stuck out to Amelia. Dark red hair captured her eyes like a sun. How could it not? The hair, followed by the pale skin, green eyes and tall stature, belonged to someone Amelia had little liking or trust for.

Colin raised a wine glass to her in greeting.

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**I have never written this type of story before, so don't expect too much. I'll update as soon as I can. Thank you very much~**

**R&R~**


	2. Chapter 2

**Ok! Here's Ch. 2! Please enjoy!**

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Colin raised his glass to Amelia by way of wordless greeting. His green eyes flashed at her. She mutely greeted him back, hoping there was someone else of note to turn her attention to. There was no one, so she did what was considered rude. She simply walked past him and attempted to enter the kitchen. His voice stopped her short.

'Hey,' he said quietly, approaching her. His voice sent some sort of chill rolling over her shoulders and down her back. 'Have you heard anything from my brother?'

The question was innocent enough, but Amelia did not like it. She responded with a rather sharp 'No.'

'That's too bad. I haven't heard anything, either.' She heard him take a sip from his glass.

Hearing no further talk, Amelia walked ahead without looking back. Colin would have to have been some sort of idiot to not understand that Amelia disliked him. He did not need to know why, though. She thought it better he did not know.

The kitchen was filled with the light buzz of conversation. Amelia's mother called her over with her usual cheerful and loud voice. Amelia's father was beside her in a suit that somehow didn't seem correct on him.

'Amelia! Have you seen Colin around? We need a chat with him.'

'About business?' Her voice was icy, and her mother noticed. Amelia swallowed the cold words back. 'Ah, he's in the hall.'

Her mother got over the initial shock of her daughter's cold voice and thanked her before darting into the hall. Amelia heard her mother's high-pitched greeting.

Her father stared for a few seconds. 'Amelia, have you heard anything from Arthur?'

She shook her head in a deflated manner. Her shoulders tensed, turning to stone.

'I can't get my head around it. I know he let his family know he was Ok, but he could have told them where he was. Still…'

Amelia looked up.

'He was perhaps too young to handle such a company.'

'He would have had help. His dad arranged for that.'

'But still,' he poured himself a drink. 'Nineteen? Amelia, I know you said he wanted this, but perhaps he came to his senses.'

Amelia felt a childish temper rise within her. She wanted to stomp her foot against the kitchen tiles, but restrained herself. Her jaw tightened. She was not angry at her father specifically, rather the entire situation. She was partly angry at Arthur, but then she stopped being irritated at him. She slowed the racing and cursed thoughts enough to think of him in a softer manner. She then wanted to cry. Amelia instead looked up to her father and only nodded. 'Perhaps.'

He patted his daughter on the head, knowing her well. 'Be calm, Amelia.' He walked out of the room to talk with Colin.

She looked to the strangers in the kitchen. None of them looked to her. They clinked glasses and chatted lightly to one another. She was a ghost.

Arthur was going to take over the business, but then he realised that he was indeed much too young and inexperienced. He was nineteen. Who runs a company at that age? Who even rests high in the ranks of a company at that age? Amelia knew all this, but she also knew it was not in her boyfriend to run for it. That was not in his personality - nowhere even within the vicinity of his personality. That personality she loved so much.

_'It will be tough, but I will do it.'_

He had said it with such conviction and such passion. The tone could not be concealed within his throat.

_'I know you can do it.'_

_ Her_ conviction and belief could not be held within her throat. She truly believed he could do it. She refused to consider that he had run off. There was no way. There couldn't have been a way. Arthur himself could not have allowed it. It was like a rose in a lead box with no lid. It could not possibly get out on its own even by will of God. It needed to be physically taken out by someone else.

Arthur had been taken out. Taken out of some picture he was staining.

Amelia clenched her fists. A flash of Arthur sped past her vision. She felt as though she was toppling over and grabbed the corner of the workbench. Someone asked if she was Ok. She said she was. Then a flash of Colin sped past. She did not topple over. Instead she stood straight, declining an offer of a glass of water, and walked out of the kitchen. She brushed shoulders with the man she hated in the hall and headed up the stairs. She made to go into her room, but stopped, hand hovering over the door knob. She let her eyes wander so freely to the door of the spare room which held people's coats and other belongings.

Temptation dangled in front of her eyes. A lustrous ball of gold.

She glanced down the stairs, seeing nobody heading up. She listened. Nobody asked after her. The chat was firmly on light conversation and business.

She made her way to the door, opened it, thanking a god that it was a quiet door, and stepped in. She turned on the light and searched for Colin's coat. It was most certainly the dark brown one with the inner pockets sitting on the double bed in the middle of the room.

She stretched for it, listening for any approaching noise. After checking the coat-owner's name ('C. Kirkland'), she reached into the pockets, trying to find something… anything she could. What clues did Arthur's older brother hold? Amelia rummaged desperately, feeling a thin layer of sweat coat her skin. She listened as much as she could for any footsteps. Even if it wasn't Colin, digging into someone's coat was not exactly normal and free of suspicion.

There was nothing that she could hear, so she kept rummaging.

_'I think I can do a good job for Father. I will take over the company.'_

Amelia knew he was right. She knew he wouldn't have run away from this. He would not have handled it like this. She closed her eyes tightly, trying to think of some flaw in his character that would have prompted this kind of action. Indeed there were flaws – what kind of human being has no flaws? - but there were none that led to this.

She found something, a piece of paper crumpled slightly. She unravelled it and saw the inked characters:

_ART: 51 C G. L_

She studied it, but it meant nothing to her. Not at first, but then she realised something. _'ART'. _It was not a pastime or a subject in school, this Amelia was sure of. The studious Colin did not partake in painting or much else creative, preferring to focus his mind on business and math-like subjects. She had remembered this in a remark by Arthur. She stared at the first three letters, trying to unravel them like a piece of wire.

Art… Art… Art…hur… Arthur…?

Her eyes widened, but they had little time to, as footsteps could be heard just outside the door. Her heart fell to the pit of her stomach. She took one last split-second look at the paper and shoved it back into the pocket before diving under the bed.

The door opened. It was Colin. Amelia shrank further under the bed, trying not to breathe. The coat of sweat on her skin got thicker.

Colin took his coat from the bed and there was a shuffling sound – the sound of fabric being brushed. Amelia risked a peek from under. Colin's back was turned and he brought a mobile phone from one of the pockets. She gritted her teeth, sorry she missed that.

He dialled a number and glanced to the door before placing it to his ear. He was as worried about approaching people as Amelia, it seemed. He began to talk in a hushed, but still rough voice. 'I told you not to try and ring me this evening…!'

There was a pause. Amelia could only just make out a voice on the other end of the line. It was a man, but not Arthur's voice. She could only catch a few small sounds and words. She could not form a coherent sentence from them.

'Well, don't be,' Colin said with a huff. 'You will keep him there until I say you can move, understand?'

There was another pause as he listened. Amelia's heart rate increased.

'I will prepare my negotiations for a few days. Two weeks at the absolute tops – '

There was a shrill reply that Amelia could not fully catch.

' – Shut it! What am I paying you for?'

The next reply was softer.

'Good. Now, I will call you back. They will be expecting me downstairs.'

He hung up and shoved the phone back into the pocket it came from. He took a deep breath as though he was going underwater and left the room.

Amelia waited a couple of minutes before emerging, shaking. She looked at the coat and grabbed it, her actions quick and desperate. She opened his phone and cursed when she realised she needed a password to get in to the main menu. She tried a few words, but none worked. She cursed again and placed the phone back in the pocket.

Amelia had never felt so elated and yet so deflated at the same time. She felt a few tears of helplessness rise, but she managed to force them back. Before she left the room, she memorised the only remotely hopeful thing in the coat: _'ART: 51 C G. L'._

She was going to find out what happened to him. It was the most determined goal Amelia Jones had ever set for herself.

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**Phew… I'm currently in Spain, and writing in the heat is hard work…**

**Let me know what you think~ **

**I'll update as soon as I can~**

**Until next time! Thank you!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey! Here's chapter three! I hope you enjoy~**

* * *

Amelia tapped the table with the tips of her fingers. In her right hand was the piece of paper she so desperately wanted to keep a hold of. Scrawled in her hurried hand was '_Art: 51 CG. L' _and nothing else. She closed her eyes as though some miracle would permit an image of the answer to form in front of her. She felt something warm caress her eyes and hastily wiped it away. The paper in her hand was riddled with creases.

Amelia put it in her pocket and peered out the window, watching the guests of the business party leave. She had avoided Colin for the rest of the evening, tuning out his voice and his physical presence. She saw his and Arthur's father but did not speak to him, either. Amelia had caught a glimpse of him from the corner of her eyes, and he seemed to be in a very deep pool of thought, for he did not notice her walk by. Even his wife seemed to be an oblivious concept to him. This puzzled Amelia only for a moment. She guessed the uncertainty of a child's fate would have drowned anyone this way. Amelia felt as though she was drowning in some pool. Questions filled her mind and throat, cutting off oxygen almost as effectively as water.

Yet it didn't seem to drown Colin.

Amelia headed downstairs and approached her mother, who was clearing up the kitchen table. With a typically cheerful face, she threw used napkins and leftovers in the bin, setting aside some vegetables for the horses – a rare treat for them. Amelia approached her mother and sat down at the table, not trying to hide the down expression.

'What's wrong, honey? And where were you during this party?' Her mother tilted her head. She wore a little red flower in her hair. It suited her.

'Mom… I'm worried about Arthur…' Amelia felt a small choke rise. 'And what's more…'

A woman who could be serious when she was needed to be, Amelia's mother did not speak, instead letting her daughter continue at her own speed.

'... I think someone close to home might be… Might be… Uh…'

'What, honey?'

'… What if someone close to home is involved in this?' Her words were small, but the impact could be felt all around the room.

'What?'

Amelia clenched her fists as though keeping her courage from escaping. 'Mom! Don't you think it is a coincidence that Colin gets the job after Arthur disappears?'

A silence followed. The dust floating in the air could be heard.

'Amelia, you have some imagination, girl…!' Her mother merely smiled a tight smile and continued cleaning as though the conversation never happened.

After a stunned dumbness, Amelia said, 'Mom! Did you not hear me?'

'Of course I did,' she sang. 'Like I said, you have a vivid imagination, honey!'

Amelia found herself despising that smile of her mother's, but only for a second, as she realised that it was not her mother's fault. Imagination was a very plausible explanation. The young American sighed and got up, feeling her strength suddenly depleted.

Before she made it out of the room, however, her mother addressed her. 'Honey, I'm sure Artie's fine.'

In spite of everything, hearing his nickname made Amelia smile. She nodded and walked out the door, going to bed. A restless night awaited her.

* * *

Studying the piece of paper proved fruitless even the next day, but somehow Amelia blamed the lack of sleep for that. She sat in the barn which housed several horses, including her own pony, Lily. The filly sniffed at the paper as though trying to decipher it as well. Amelia patted Lily on her muzzle and told her all about the suspicions of Colin, believing that Lily would accept her theories more than anyone else would.

'It must be an address,' Amelia finally said. Lily looked to her and swished her tail. 'I mean the number… and the 'C G'… But the 'L'…?'

She stood up and dashed for the house, making sure the barn door was locked. She logged onto the computer and typed the number and letters in every search engine she could find. All that came up were forum usernames and company initials. She searched the links with a thin thread of hope that she would find another lead. A rival company, perhaps? She found nothing.

Then something caught her eye. She clicked on the link in a burst of impulse. The site greeted her with a wall of words. She scanned it and clicked on the 'About us' section. It told her of the company's founding and how it built itself up to become one of the greatest in the field. A '99% customer satisfaction rate'. Amelia felt a cool sweat develop over her skin.

'My God…' Amelia muttered. She leaned in closer to the screen in disbelief. Her eyes nearly dropped from her face. _I… I could… I could…!_

She opened a new window and undertook a more thorough search of the company. Things looked positive. Amelia returned to the original web page and scanned the 'Contact us' section. She saw the phone number and, with shaking hands, wrote it down. She logged off, being sure to erase her browsing history, and trotted up to her room. There were now two pieces of paper in her hands, both containing hope that could fill an ocean.

Amelia jumped on her bed and grabbed her mobile. She took a few deep breaths before dialling the number. Her thumb shook violently and it was slick with sweat. She raised it to her ear and her heart thumped with the ringing tone.

Just as she was beginning to think this was not such a good idea, a lady with a professional voice answered. '_Hello. Code Gone Private Detective Agency, How may I help you?'_

After a hesitation used to gather thoughts and words, Amelia began to speak.

* * *

The coffee shop was rather quiet. The lunchtime rush had ended, which was a good thing. Eavesdropping was not something Amelia could have handled. Then again, a quieter café would have meant anyone in there could have heard them more easily. She gulped and stared at her hot chocolate, not feeling the stomach for sugar. She only stirred it with the spoon.

Amelia had explained her plight to the lady on the other end of the phone. She had poured her heart out, and in return she got a sympathetic response and an arrangement to meet a detective to determine whether the case was worth taking on. Excitement mixed with anguish materialised in Amelia's gut, causing her to grit her teeth in a strange pain.

Then a tall man in a long pale coat walked into the café, ordered something at the counter, and sat down. He had light, almost platinum blonde hair and pale skin. Amelia noticed his nose was rather large, but somehow sat in well with the rest of his features. He had gloves and a scarf as though it was mid-winter rather than summer. She felt roasted just looking at him. It had to have been…

She slowly stood up, abandoning her half-full glass of hot chocolate and approached him. If it wasn't the guy, she could have just made an excuse, telling him she mistook him for someone else. She swallowed a large lump in her throat before she stopped beside his table. He did not look up.

'Uh… Rodger… Rodger Dickens…' It was the code word Amelia had been told to use when first addressing the detective. She felt so silly saying it out loud, but at least the mistake could have been more easily explained away with a human name. He was supposed to say something back. It was…

'Hm… Lucy Locket.'

Amelia was relieved. Her heart fluttered back to a steady rhythm. He spoke in a Russian accent, which surprised her. From what she knew of the world, Russians and Americans did not get along especially well. She shook this idea away.

He looked up at her. His eyes had what looked to be a purple tint to them. He gestured for her to sit. She did. The weight of nerves pummelled her to the seat.

There was a silence as the coffee he ordered was set on the table. Even when the coast was clear, he remained silent. His purple eyes seemed to be locked on Amelia as he drank his coffee and took off his gloves. She could only remain silent herself, trying with all her might not to fidget.

'Well,' he said at last in his thick Russian accent. 'Have you only been a little prank set up by some teenage punks?'

This startled her. She retorted, 'What? What do you mean? You don't think my case is real?'

'You are a child,' he continued. 'What could you possibly need me for, hm? Do you think I was born yesterday? We have a job to do and I cannot have punks like you-'

A temper line snapped. 'What the hell is wrong with you?'

Even in a flare of anger, Amelia knew people could hear, so she lowered her voice, thankful for the constantly busy coffee machine near them. 'I love Arthur! I want nothing more than to have him back you asshole, and I want you to help me…! If you really are a Goddam private detective then I can pay you the agreed price I made with that girl yesterday…! I want Arthur back and I want the asshole that kidnapped him to be put behind bars and that includes his sneaky, slimy brother! I swear to God I am no prankster!'

She placed her head in her cupped hands. She was shaking like an autumn leaf.

The Russian spoke. 'My name is Ivan. When shall I start?'

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**I have no idea how private detective agencies work so I admit I made this up somewhat~ **

**Thank you for reading and I would really appreciate a review~ **

**Until next time, bye bye!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello! Thank you for waiting! Here's Ch. 4.**

**Please enjoy and thank you to all who have read and reviewed so far~**

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At one corner of Amelia's room, there was a little spider tucked in. It was waiting for prey, perhaps, or hiding from the cold (though the weather would beg to differ), or just sleeping. Amelia identified with the spider in a strange way. It was silent, as was she, and it was most likely waiting for something to come its way so it could gobble it up with hungry fangs. Amelia was hungry for something –anything – on the whereabouts of Arthur. She hungered for him.

With clenched fists, she lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling as she waited. She had told Ivan everything he needed to know, and it astounded her how efficient he was at listening and acknowledging in spite of the fact he probably didn't care in the slightest. All her pocket money – the money she had accumulated over the years – was going towards him. She had offered him part payment upfront. He refused it, and this puzzled Amelia. To her, he seemed like the sort of person who would demand partial payment upfront, especially from a young girl who could still be pulling an elaborate and time-consuming prank. So much puzzled her, and while she hated keeping everything from her parents, there was a part of her relieved that they weren't involved. She smiled to herself as she thought of her mother's reaction.

Her phone buzzed with the notification of a text.

She rolled over to her stomach and picked it up. It was from 'Amanda'. This was one of her friend's names, but on the phone, there was a subtle full stop after this Amanda's name, indicating only to Amelia that this was indeed Ivan. It was something she had come up with herself (a swell of pride accompanied it) to avoid accidental detection by her parents. Ivan only made a grunting sound and agreed with her idea. Emotions were not his forte, she had gathered.

'_Wanna meet in the Aurora Café today at 1ish? :)'_

Amelia snorted. The smiley was a nice touch. He knew how to act thorough texts, anyway. Amelia text a confirmation and looked to the clock. It was Twelve. Ivan wasn't beyond giving her little notice. Then again, he got information as he got it, so he could hardly plan too far ahead. Amelia breathed in and out, a nervous tremor rising in her stomach. She so desperately wanted information on Arthur it made her sick to think she may actually get some.

* * *

The café was quiet, just like the day Ivan and Amelia met for the first time. He sat there, drinking some hot beverage and looking at some papers he held in his glove covered hand. Amelia swallowed her heart, hoping beyond hope that the paper had something gem-like about its contents. She sat down opposite him and stared until he looked up.

In his thick Russian accent, he asked, 'No personal, secretive greeting for me?'

Amelia scowled. 'Like what?'

Ivan did not answer, instead smiling somewhat devilishly. Amelia discretely shuddered. The Russian looked through his papers, and no matter how hard she tried, she could not grab any words. Ivan looked up and smirked.

'Children. So impatient. The papers contain information on your little friends Colin and Arthur.' Ivan put them down in front of them. He kept them away from Amelia.

She resisted another scowl and asked what she deemed appropriate. 'W-what did you find?'

'Oh, the usual crap. Schooling, work, some family details… These people are rich… No wonder you want to save this boyfriend so badly.'

That hurt Amelia in a very deep way. This Ivan saw her as a money-grabbing child. Her rage was released in a single a quiet word. 'Asshole.'

'Hm?'

'Don't try and insult me…!' A lot of energy was used to keep her shouts buried. 'You are a private detective, are you not? Nothing else. It is not your job to judge. Besides, your judgements are wrong…!' Her shoulders trembled. The two were not a pair to get along, it seemed.

Ivan chuckled. 'I was making banter… Lightening the atmosphere if you will. This anger you feel just proves to me how much of a child you are.'

Amelia felt both foolish and angry now. She looked away, face flushed.

'Anyway, you'd be surprised about us judging,' Ivan continued. 'We are human, after all.'

'What's significant about those papers, dude? Come on. I don't have all day.' Amelia could hardly look at his gloved hands let alone his face. She was no longer angry with him, merely ashamed to be seen as someone so naïve in his eyes. She looked to the table, wondering why on earth it would matter what she was to him.

'I just wanted background information,' he said. 'But here…'

He flicked to one particular page and separated it from the pile. Amelia saw from the other side what looked to be a circle made in a black marker pen.

'The piece of paper you gave me with the numbers and letters. They appear to be an address in short.'

Amelia turned her neck to look at it. He showed it to her. Indeed, Ivan had circled an address that matched the first letters on the piece of paper. Circled was the address:

51 Clover Gardens

Linenfield

Amelia's eyes widened and she smiled enthusiastically. She had strength to look at Ivan. 'You think that's where he is?'

Ivan placed a finger over his lips. Amelia flushed again as she noticed a couple of people nearby had turned round to look at the noisy girl. A girl a few tables down had looked over and was giggling gleefully. She had brunette hair tied back in a red bow. Her amber eyes shone with the same glee. The blonde man she was with did not look round, instead sipping his drink with a serious note.

She mouthed apologies to the people and sat down, wishing the seat would swallow her up.

'Noisy American,' Ivan muttered. 'But I am not sure. I cannot judge, after all.'

Amelia only sighed.

'What I will do, however, is check this place out. I did a little bit of research on the area and I found that it has a lot of d… de… uh… houses not lived in.'

Amelia looked to him and ended up laughing to herself. 'Derelict houses?'

'Yes, that's the word.' Ivan was the one to look down in embarrassment. He cleared his throat and examined the papers in front of him. His purple eyes were tense. 'Anyway, I will go and check the place out. Naturally I will report back to you and –'

'No.' Amelia leaned over slightly to assert her point. 'I want to go with you.'

Ivan only stared at her for a few seconds. He blinked once. 'What?'

'You heard me.'

'No. No way, kid. I'm not having you with me. You'll get in my way.'

'How? If anything, it'll save you time. Dude, you won't have to report back to me!' Amelia smiled and tilted her head, happy with her logic.

Ivan leaned over as well. His deep eyes dug into her. 'No.'

Amelia felt a temper rise. She breathed in, hoping she wouldn't regret what she was about to say. 'Ivan… Dude… If you don't take me with you, I'll begin to cry and tell everyone some bad stories.'

Ivan's face twisted slightly as he leaned back. 'I'm not taking you with me.'

Amelia swallowed her fear and began to cry. It was so convincing that even she believed she did this sort of thing all the time. Amelia sobbed, 'But wh-hy? Why not? Don't be mean!'

She could feel the eyes on her back, and she could see Ivan's eyes striking her down silently. He gritted his teeth and leaned over. 'Alright fine…! Quiet now!'

Amelia stopped as soon as she had begun. She got a tissue from her sleeve and wiped the artificial tears from her eyes.

Ivan's face was thunderous. It was the most emotion Amelia had seen him produce. The eyes on her back slowly began to disappear to their own goings on.

In a less-than-amused voice, Ivan said quietly. 'You Americans are all the same. Blackmail and immaturity.'

* * *

'Aren't your parents expecting you back?' Ivan asked.

They were sitting in his car as he drove to the street. Amelia looked out of the window and examined each street they passed. There were sides to the city she had never considered before.

'Nope. Not for a few hours. Amanda and I always go out for whole days.' Amelia looked to Ivan and smiled her devilish smile, reminding him of the consequences possible.

'I see. Well, I'll leave you off at the bus stop as soon as I can,' Ivan assured her. His voice still possessed a frosty tone. He did not like being out-manoeuvred by a young girl.

'No rush.' Amelia muttered back.

'Here we are,' Ivan said. He brought the car to a stop. He nodded to the house that was supposedly 51.

Amelia scrambled to the windscreen as close as she dared. 'Is he there? Can you see him?'

'Calm down,' Ivan said harshly. He tugged the hood of her jacket in a sharp motion to get her to sit down.

She did, but began to tug at her sleeves. She bit her bottom lip, feeling her heartbeat in her throat. 'What now?'

'Now we wait and see, child,' Ivan explained. He sat back and got out a newspaper.

'What? But –'

'It is how this sort of thing works.' He flicked through the paper and read. 'I doubt you have it, but you need patience.'

Amelia groaned and sat back. Arthur could have been mere feet from her and she was just sitting in the car, doing nothing. The house did not look derelict like most of the others in the street. While it was not the best kept of houses, there was certainly the air of inhabitants around it. She brought her knees to her chin and began to hum.

Ivan put the paper on the dashboard. 'Are you getting bored? I suppose it has been half an hour.'

Amelia made a small noise and buried her head in her knees. 'I'm just… I just want to get Arthur back.'

There was a pause. Amelia then heard a pocket door opening and looked to see Ivan retrieving something. He bought out a tissue. 'Here. You've already used the tissue up your sleeve.'

It was only then that Amelia realised some tears had formed in the corners of her eyes. 'Oh.'

'You may be an annoyance, child, but I see bravery in you,' Ivan said as Amelia wiped her eyes.

'Huh?'

'Well, for starters, you got into a car with someone you didn't know. I always thought that was taboo.'

Amelia laughed weakly. 'I'll take that as a compliment… Thanks, dude.'

'Stupid Americans…' he muttered.

Then something happened outside. Ivan shot his head to the house like a rabbit to the sign of a predator. The house door was opening and a man walked out, then a second. They locked the door behind them and walked in the opposite direction of the car.

'Oh, God,' Amelia muttered. She gripped the tissue in her hand.

Ivan began to write in a little notebook.

_He's… He's in there all alone…_

Amelia leapt out of the car, only managing to catch the beginning of Ivan's call. She dashed across the street and looked through the window. Not much could be seen. A couple of chairs and something else. No sign of life. She trembled as she dashed to the side of the house. No gate, just a small gap between this and the neighbour.

Her heart hammered through her entire body, going at a pace dangerously rapid. She looked through a window at the back. This was the kitchen. She could see nothing, but then a door started to open. Her eyes widened, and –

She was knocked to the ground and there was a weight on top of her. She couldn't even struggle or scream. But her head turned enough to allow her the faint relief of Ivan being the one weighing her down. Her vision began to falter, as though she was going to lose consciousness.

'You… stupid… American…!' Ivan scolded through gritted teeth. 'Stay quiet…!'

'There's s-someone…'

'I know.'

Amelia kept quiet, feeling terrified and foolish. Ivan shuffled, allowing her more room. His arms were at either side of her, trapping her. He was not confident enough to give her complete freedom of her movements. He looked down to her with deep eyes for a split second before turning his attention to the house. There was no noise indicating movement within. Ivan moved back and scooped Amelia up. He did not hold her, rather supported her as she found her own feet.

'Shut up and follow me.' Ivan said.

They remained low as they turned the corner Amelia had approached. She was shaking behind Ivan, and without much thought, she griped the back of his coat. He did not look round.

They were back in the car. And there was a long silence.

'You… You are the stupidest girl I have ever met.' The Russian's voice told Amelia that he was suppressing a lot of rage. She could almost see the heavy aura around him. 'I allow you to observe with me and this is what you…'

Amelia squeaked and looked to her knees. '… I'm sorry.'

'Damn right you're…!' He took a breath. 'Yes, well… We were not spotted from what I could tell.'

The young girl looked to Ivan. She had thrown a stone to the surface of the water, and inevitably ripples appeared. She looked to his face, his eyes. They were filled with not just rage, but a certain dread.

'I'm sorry.' She repeated. Terror was filling her as fluently as liquid.

'…'

'I'm… I'm sorry…'

Amelia began to cry.

* * *

**Ok! Thank you for reading! I'll post the next chapter as soon as I can. **

**R and R!**

**Cheers! ^_^**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey all! Here's chapter five! R and R!**

**Cheers!**

* * *

With a spirit heavier than a ship's anchor, Amelia leaned her head against the bus window. Her breath coloured it. Normally she would have drawn pictures and rude words in the condensation, but her eyes hardly registered the stuff. They were still heavy with tears.

A bump on the road caused her to sit up straight. She was nearly home.

Ivan had dropped her off at the bus stop after making sure she was not going to erupt into a fit of tears again. The entire situation had drained so much from Amelia that she just wished to crawl under the covers. The Russian had given her a couple more tissues before they parted. He had said, 'I shall do what I can', before he drove away.

Amelia was counting on that. She smiled for the first time since beginning to cry and made herself a promise to be stronger.

Her stop came. She got off and walked to her house.

* * *

Amelia was brushing Lily when Colin came into the barn. The young horse whinnied at the stranger and her owner gave a frosty look that she quickly readjusted to a neutral one. The brush in her hand was gripped tighter.

'Hey, Amelia,' he said. Colin was in a suit – a suit for that company. 'How are you today?'

The idle question raised a flare of anger inside her. The flame licked her heart; it was almost painful. 'What do you want, Colin? Shouldn't you be working?'

The questions had come out rougher than was intended. Nevertheless, Colin didn't so much as flinch.

'I just want to know how you're getting on. I'm sure it's not easy for you.' He looked to Lily and gave the animal a small smile.

'…'

Colin's eyes lowered when he tried to look at Amelia. He placed his hands inside his suit pockets, tense.

'Why did you come here?'

'What do you suspect happened to my brother? What have you found out, eh?' Colin's words snapped through the air.

Amelia's heart was struck with a jolt of pain. 'What? W-What would I know about this?'

'You know what I mean.' His whisper was a deadly sound around the big barn they stood in. He made to say more, but Amelia's mother called from the outside.

'Colin, dear! You in there?' She walked through the door with a smile on her face. She beamed even greater when she saw Amelia and Colin. 'Oh! Good! You found her!'

'Yes, ma'am.' Colin turned a smile on. He looked to Amelia, eyes holding silent words. 'Glad I caught you, Amelia. I'll see you around.'

Amelia's heart sank so low she thought it had left her body altogether. Arthur's brother knew about Ivan? He knew that she was searching for Arthur? As Colin walked out and his footsteps faded, tears threatened. Some maelstrom began to form within her being. Teeth began to grind her organs. Her throat swelled with terrible hotness.

'Honey, you Ok?'

Amelia felt her phone shift in her jacket pocket and immediately thought of one person she should contact.

'Uh, yeah… Yeah I'm fine. He was just talking about, you know, Arthur and stuff, and I got a little emotional.' She looked to the straw-covered floor of the barn. It seemed so far away.

'Oh, sweetie.'

* * *

Texting was so informal, and although it was usually something Amelia strived in – informality – she did not like telling Ivan things through this medium. Her thumb pressed the buttons with a little shake.

_Hey! I have so much gossip for you! Wanna meet up when you're free?_

Amelia hated pretending, but it had to be done. There was a segment of her that just wanted to run from her home.

In typical prompt fashion, Ivan replied, _So soon? We only just met up! It must be good!_

Amelia held the phone to her forehead as though trying to telepathically communicate with Ivan. She admitted it to herself; to find Arthur, Ivan was the only person in the world she could talk to.

_It's totally cool! Meet you tomorrow?_

_Sounds good! :)_

Amelia shed a few tears as she got ready for bed. She thought of Colin's words, those dangerous words. How much was he aware of Ivan? Did he see the Russian at all and suspect? Did he know that Ivan was an investigator? There was too much for the young girl to cope with. Her world began to swirl and she grabbed either side of the sink, fearing she would throw up.

Her sleep was not filled with peace.

* * *

They did not meet in the café, rather a little diner at the edge of the city. Ivan was sitting in silence towards the back, gloved hands and something new on his person – a light purple scarf. When the young American sat down opposite him, she saw how perfectly it complimented his eyes.

'Hey,' she said quietly.

Not looking at her, Ivan replied, 'No shouting?'

She did not answer, only looking at the menu and choosing what flavour of pie she wanted. They all looked so good. She gave the waitress her order.

The Russian let a silence linger in the air for a few moments before he broke it. 'So, what do you want to speak about?'

'Colin,' Amelia said. At the sounding of his name, a little shiver told her to look discretely around for him. She did so, but saw nothing other than customers eating and laughing among themselves. The fan overhead whirled and emitted a quiet _whoosh_ sound. Its shadows travelled over their heads.

'Oh? That's funny.' Ivan muttered.

'What?'

He looked to her, his eyes heavy with something. 'What is it you want to say, child?'

With a stutter, she composed her voice. 'I think he knows… something…'

Ivan smirked. 'Yes, indeed.'

Amelia twitched.

'I discovered shortly after dropping you off at the bus stop yesterday. I went back to track those men, and I realised I was being watched. By whom… I am not _completely_ sure, but I have a feeling...' Ivan rested his chin on his hand as the waitress served Amelia her slice of blueberry pie with a glass of milk. 'Hm… Not good.'

'Not good?! Of course it's not good!' Amelia took a large forkful of pie in her mouth and continued to speak, crumbs being spewed over the table. 'What the hell are we gonna do if Colin's on to us?!'

'Child…' Ivan sighed. He looked a tone angry. 'Calm… And do you not possess any manners?'

Amelia swallowed and slurped from her glass.

'Dude…! What do we do?!'

'I want to be sure of who's watching me. But I have little doubt in my mind.'

'I'll help you!'

'…'

His expression said enough, and with it, he got up and strode to the exit, leaving money to cover the food before he did. Amelia quickly scooped the pie into her mouth and sped after him. She grabbed his arm, feeling the muscles through his coat. They were tense.

'Let go of me, child.'

Words burst from her mouth. 'I'm not going home until I find Arthur! Ivan! I won't!'

The Russian kept moving for his car. The stones below Amelia's feet poked the soles of her shoes, tapping her feet somewhat painfully. Her hands grasped his sleeve. She would not let go for all the servings of pie in the world.

Nevertheless, Ivan made that very demand several times. When they got to his car, he turned round to her. They were out of sight of staff and customers. He looked to her with deadly eyes, perhaps throwing horrible things at her.

'You know, I am not even sure why I'm helping you anymore. You are a silly child!' Ivan said angrily.

This got to Amelia slightly. '… But you will help me… I'm paying you, after all.'

'That's not – I haven't even been paid, yet…!'

'You said you didn't want – '

'Ok! Ok…! Fine…'

'Fine what?'

Ivan rubbed his temples with his gloved fingers. His platinum blonde hair captured the small light of the day. Amelia leaned against his car and looked to the pebble-covered ground. She kicked some of the little stones away from her.

Ivan moved and Amelia moved with him. He got into his car and she got into the passenger seat.

'Stupid American.'

They talked about Colin's disclosure for a while, and although Amelia admitted the revelation was not as clear as crystal, Ivan was almost completely convinced that the Englishman was aware of the current 'situation' as such. Ivan had previously said he was being watched (it had only been a silhouette the Russian had spotted), but he did not believe it was Colin doing the watching. He pressed with something else – that Colin had done to same thing Amelia had and hired a private detective.

'But… why would he…?'

'It is a theory, child.' Ivan insisted. 'But what about this? You have the wrong end of the stick about Colin in the first place. What I mean is… Did he really kidnap Arthur like you believe?'

Amelia remained in a half-stunned silence for a while. She turned her attention to the outside world. A little bird glided past and nestled in a tree laden with emerging fruit.

'Amelia.'

She looked to him. Her heart fell. It had been doing that too much recently. 'What?'

'What do you think of that?'

Then Amelia laughed. She covered her face with her hands and laughed and laughed. The car filled with the noise. Ivan only looked at her and waited for a finish.

The young girl finally let her laughter die out. The car was silent again.

'Oh God… Heh heh…' Amelia chuckled, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. She scratched her head, knowing how crazy she must have seemed. Her laughter was fuelled by a completely hopeless feeling. She had cried enough.

Ivan seemed unfazed. He began to speak. 'I did some checking, and I do believe I know who Colin might have hired.'

'W-What? Are… you serious? But why would he…? I mean…'

'Amelia, I think you're wrong about Colin. There's something else to this. You say Colin wasn't completely clear?'

'Well, I didn't hear everything because my mom showed up.' Amelia sighed heavily. 'Uh… I just don't understand anything anymore.'

'Well, that hardly surprises me…' Ivan muttered. He grinned as Amelia scowled at him. 'But anyway, as I said, I believe Colin hired a private detective, too, and unfortunately… The one he has hired...'

Ivan's face withdrew into a terrified state. His eyes drooped and his mouth tensed. Amelia saw his hands shake slightly as he gripped the steering wheel.

'Dude…?' She leaned over to examine Ivan more closely. Such fear… It was not something she had ever seen or began to imagine from him. This Russian was surely made of steel. 'Ivan…?'

'Uh!' He snapped his gaze to Amelia, his purple eyes wide and his eyebrows knitted together. 'What?'

Amelia jolted back. 'Dude! What was that?! You scared of this guy Colin hired or what?'

'It's not what you call a 'guy'… But I feel that we must go and see her to get some answers.' Ivan turned the engine on and backed the car out of the space.

Amelia put her seatbelt on. 'A girl? That's so cool! Are we going to see her now?'

Ivan made a noise in his throat before answering, 'Yes. Hopefully she is where I think she is.'

* * *

Ivan brought her to a bar called the 'Red Hog.'

It was afternoon, which was why Amelia was so surprised that the bar was full of people. Young, but beyond their teens. A quiet group who played snooker or darts. Some were gathered on sofas around a widescreen television with a sport on.

Ivan nodded to a staff member in a familiar but not friendly manner. Amelia looked around in wonder, and it was only when Ivan grabbed her arm that she realised she had wandered from him slightly.

'Stay close to me,' he said in a near hushed voice. He held her sleeve loosely. 'Don't wander off.'

They reached a more secluded portion of the building. At the bar there was nobody, only a lone figure sitting, appearing to nurse a drink of some kind. It was a girl. As soon as she came into view, Ivan slowed and Amelia heard his gulp. She looked up to him, saw his fear, and gripped his sleeve in her best attempt at comfort. He breathed in and out deeply.

The girl had long hair a similar colour to Ivan's, perhaps a tad lighter. Upon her head was a white bow. The dress she wore was a dark purple in colour. Apart from her slender figure, Amelia could not make out anything more until the girl turned around like an animal sensing a predator.

Her eyes were a harsh dark blue. Her expression, though containing a smile, was one which held coldness.

'Big brother,' she greeted in a deep Russian accent. 'It's been so long… Too long…!'

Amelia's heart leapt.

_Big… brother?!_

Ivan tensed beside the young American. 'Hello, Natalia.'

* * *

**There's chapter five! Hope you enjoyed.**

**If there's anything you feel I am not covering enough in the story – perhaps you want to know more about something, or I could progress something better, etc etc. – feel free to PM me or leave a review about it. I do my best, but I understand there may be things you want me to do better.**

**Anyway! Thanks for reading and I'll get chapter six up as soon as I can!**

**I uploaded a little doodle on deviantart based on this story (check out Doodle-3). Ah ha!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry this took so long, but some upsetting stuff happened recently and it dampened my mood for writing. **

**Anyway, here is the next chapter and I hope you enjoy.**

**Thank you!**

* * *

Amelia was not one for hair accessories (a quick tie up was usually the most she could manage), but Natalia's big white bow was strangely appealing to the young American. She found herself glancing at it every so often, wondering how it was attached so perfectly, not a hair out of line. Somehow, Amelia reckoned Natalia did not need to spend much effort on the piece – she probably just attached it and went on her way. Years of practice, perhaps. The American did not fully understand the reasoning behind this thought pattern, but did not let it hinder her attention on the siblings' conversation. She took a sip of the coke Ivan had ordered for her.

Natalia had greeted her big brother in a way Amelia found disturbing. She treated him almost like… an old lover. Her eyes drooped into a level somewhere beyond affection as she grabbed his arm and said in a low, Russian-drenched accent that she missed him so much, following that by expressing her hope that no girl had laid their hands upon him. Natalia had asked who the 'pipsqueak' was, prompting Amelia to react in a shriek. She would have told Natalia where to go, but Ivan had gently placed his arm in front of her and beckoned for the young girl to sit down. It was soon after they had got seated and Amelia was silenced with a fizzy drink did she start to pay attention to the little sister's hair bow.

'So, you are saying that you don't believe Arthur is in that house?' Ivan asked, reiterating a point Natalia had earlier made.

Natalia was a private detective like Ivan (but one with more 'shadowy' methods, Amelia had found out) and had been hired by Colin. She had been informed by her employer that if the time came, she was allowed to reveal to Amelia this very fact. Colin had apparently had his suspicions about Amelia hiring a detective of her own, but it was Natalia who had spotted her and Ivan the previous day that confirmed this.

'You mean,' Amelia had exclaimed, 'that Colin did-didn't kidnap Arthur like I thought?!'

'No, little girl,' Natalia had replied. 'At least, I have not found anything to suggest he did. Anyway, why would he hire me if he did?'

Amelia only looked to her drink, everything she had believed with such certainty now a pile of scrap in her brain. There were, of course, things she couldn't understand, but she pushed those things to the back of her mind for the time being.

'I have been doing more and more digging, brother, and I have reason to believe the Englishman is not where I initially thought he was. The activity of the occupants does not strike me as restricted or as though they are concealing something within those walls.' Natalia had informed them. 'I had given a note to Colin, suggesting my suspicions at first, but I have recently told him to scrap that.'

Amelia nodded to herself. That was why Colin had that note. She leaned over, emitting a soft sigh.

Thus the present was brought back to her.

'Brother…' Natalia said. When Ivan looked to her, waiting for her to continue, she lunged to him and hugged him 'I have missed you… so… much!'

Her voice was not affectionate, rather dangerous and aggressive. It was as though it could cut through bone. Amelia looked to Natalia's arms around Ivan's back, clutching his jacket with vice grip, and shuddered. Somehow, this affection seemed life-threatening. She understood the fear in Ivan's eyes prior to meeting her. For the first time, she felt sorry for the Russian.

'Natalia, please,' Ivan muttered, looking around as best he could to glance at Amelia. She only smiled back as sweetly as she could.

Natalia gave a low growl and peered round Ivan to see Amelia. The young American could only recoil slightly and give a weak and awkward smile. ''Sup?'

'This girl…' Natalia began, addressing Ivan while looking at Amelia, '… who exactly is she?'

'I'm Arthur's girlfriend,' Amelia responded as Ivan opened his mouth. 'I want to find him, so of course I hired Ivan.'

'Do not say his name in such a casual manner…!' she hissed. She threw herself in her brother's line of vision, a hand gripping both of his shoulders. 'Brother! You must not be taken in by this… this vixen…!'

Amelia only tilted her head. 'Whoa, dudette, I only want to find-'

'Silence…!' Natalia commanded. She stood up, having to drop to her feet since the bar stool was so high. Ivan was the focus of her attention once more. 'Brother, let's work on this case together. As one…!'

Amelia felt another shudder. It must have been the aura of Natalia. There was a blue chill about it. Nevertheless, Amelia could see the potential with this scary girl on their side – at least on Ivan's side. 'I think that's a totally cool idea! Natalia, with you on board, we'll definitely find Arthur.'

Natalia looked at Amelia, evidently considering what she had said. She adjusted her dress, smoothing out creases which did not exist in the first place, and cracked a smile. 'The girl has some brains, I see.'

Amelia pouted only for a second. 'So, will you really help us?'

'I will help brother.'

'Of course. Totally'

Ivan muttered under his breath and stood from his own stool. 'I guess we should plan our next steps, eh?'

* * *

Natalia's car was a rather expensive-looking piece, cleaned to a perfect shine. It was the same colour as her dress. Amelia was impressed as she got into the back seat. The siblings sat in the front and Natalia brought out a set of files from what appeared to be a locked pocket under her seat. She flicked through them and gave the appropriate one to Ivan, who read it over.

'I see,' he said. 'So this is how it is.'

'Yes,' Natalia looked to Amelia to include her in the conversation. 'These people you were spying on were only a fragment of an organisation. They do not have Arthur, I have established, but I believe they have him here.'

She pointed to something on the file Ivan was looking at.

'Really?' Ivan asked. 'That obvious?'

'What is it?' Amelia shuffled and leaned over Ivan to see what was on the paper. Natalia made a grunting sound. Amelia gulped and moved back, still pinning her eyes on the piece of paper. She had spotted something on it, taking note.

'He's in a more secluded part of the city. In the outskirts, if you will. In a mansion, no less. Part of the group is based there.' Natalia informed her.

'The… group?'

'It is a professional kidnapping organisation, that's what I call it. They will kidnap people for a small fee.' Natalia took the papers back and replaced them under the seat. 'Or indeed big fee.'

'That's totally crap! Who would…? I mean… Who hired them?' Amelia fell into her seat, feeling the tickle of a headache. 'If it wasn't Colin…'

'I will go to this place, and I will investigate. Brother, are you in?' Natalia's eyes sparkled with a creepy hope.

'Yes,' Ivan replied. He turned to Amelia. 'Let's get you home-'

Amelia's look stopped him.

'Please don't start crying…'

Amelia pouted and fidgeted with her sleeve. 'I won't… I mean, how could I?'

'This place is dangerous! Amelia! You could get hurt! Remember what happened last time?' Ivan's face clouded for a second.

As much as she hated to admit it, Ivan was right. 'Fine…'

'Good! It'll be big brother and me!' Natalia sang. Her voice was not made for gleeful song.

* * *

The siblings drove off in their own cars after Ivan dropped Amelia at the bus station. He promised to call when he got any news.

But Amelia would not need that call. She had caught sight of the address on the sheet of paper Natalia had given Ivan. It was an address the American was vaguely aware of in terms of direction. She scanned the timetable on the wall and selected a route that would drop her off close to the house.

As she waited, Amelia noticed it was getting dark. Her mother would soon worry, so she took out her phone. After a moment to think, Amelia texted, telling her mother that she would be staying overnight at a friend's house. After a number of texts back and forth confirming times and places, Amelia had her mother convinced. She smiled to the sky.

The bus came and dropped her off when the night had its fingers around dusk. The moon was visible and the clouds were blackening. The country road was eerie and there did not seem to be anyone else around. The house was only a two minute walk, she believed. Amelia followed the numbers and came to a break – a large house with no number. A stone-finished mansion with an unkempt garden. While wondering if this group really was that obvious, she spotted one car in the driveway. It was Ivan's. Amelia squeaked, but then covered her mouth with her hand and hid behind the hedge separating the drive from the street.

Her heart began to race. Parking on the driveway was not the way Ivan would have done it. She soon realised Ivan was not in the car. On top of that, where was Natalia's? Amelia glanced at the big building, searching for signs of life, even bodyguards, but there were none, not even a flicker of light behind a curtain.

What if Ivan was hurt? What if Arthur was in there?!

Amelia rushed forward, ducking as though that would lessen her visibility and noise level. She crept round the back, listening all the while. Not a noise. She slinked at the back, seeing more unkempt garden in the dull light. Weeds grew like arms from the ground. She juddered.

Then a noise was heard, like something breaking. Amelia spotted the back door and risked trying it. It was open. Her organs began to shake inside her. Limbs grew weak with anticipation. It took all her strength to resist calling out for Ivan or Arthur or both. Another noise. This time it was closer. She discovered she was in a utility room of sorts. There was a musty smell around her. She heard something foreign. It was a strong and aggressive Russian tone. Undoubtedly. Amelia's mind called out for Ivan. There was another crash and like a slap to the back this sent Amelia racing forward. The house was dark. Nothing could guide her.

'Ivan!' Amelia finally called as she burst into a room which held stairs on either side. It looked like a hallway of sorts. A few dim lights were casting a glow over the huge room. Ivan was in the middle of this room, people lying around him, unconscious. His scarf had been discarded somewhere and his hair was not in its typically neat fashion.

Her joy at seeing him alive was only momentary, as she saw a gash on the side of his forehead.

'Iv-'

'Amelia?! Get out of here! You stupid girl!' The Russian screamed.

A few more men emerged. They could well have been in the room the entire time, but Amelia had not noticed them.

Ivan knocked a few of them back with what appeared to be incredible strength. Two of them paid attention to Amelia. Her heart fell and she did the only thing she could think of doing. She ran. Without looking back, she rushed up the stairs into another world of shadow.

Amelia could not see in the darkness, but she knew someone was moving around her. She reacted to this sense too late, as a pair of hands clasped her wrists and forced them behind her. Amelia made to scream, but another hand clasped over her mouth. She attempted to bite and struggle, but it was futile. These were two strong men. Her hands were tied with a coarse rope which cut at her skin. Then a piece of material was tied over her mouth, and as the knot was made at the back of her head, some of her hair got caught in it, pulling and paining her.

They forced her up another small flight of stairs, Amelia kicking and fighting the entire way, and opened a door. One of them flung her onto something, a bed she soon realised. The room was still dark, but a shard of moonlight fell through a gap in the curtains. The door was slammed shut.

At first, Amelia thought she was alone, but the breathing of the two men could soon be heard over her own rapid heartbeat. They moved onto the bed beside her and one hoisted her hips into the air so her legs were bent at the knees. Amelia's eyes widened. She turned cold. The world fell silent for just a moment.

The other cupped her face with rough, foul hands. A zip came undone, then another. Amelia began to scream without sound. She thrashed her head from side to side, tears forming in her eyes. Her body began to tremor uncontrollably as though someone was shaking her themselves. The man behind her grabbed her hips roughly and hoisted them again, this time with more force. They were silently warning her they could easily do damage if she protested too much.

Amelia kept screaming, knowing full well nobody could hear her. Ivan could not. He had his own problems. All she was really doing was waiting until they began their sick ritual.

But it never began. The door burst open, Amelia could only tell by the new embrace of light into the room. Someone had turned the light on outside. Her ability to receive sound had escaped her. The two men around her were no longer there, and she fell on her side. She was still shaking.

Some sound came back. The sound of a man yelling and the sound of a scuffle. The sound of someone's cheek being punched.

Then silence again. A low light came on. There was someone talking, perhaps to themself, in a hurried and panicked voice. The rope around her wrists was undone and the cloth over her mouth was removed. A large coat was wrapped around her and she understood immediately who had saved her. The light cuts on her wrists stung against the air.

Ivan's arms wrapped around Amelia and he brought her tightly into him. They were sitting together on the bed and it seemed like such a different place. Ivan kept muttering things that Amelia only caught fragments of. She heard things like 'I'm sorry' and 'Amelia' and something she guessed was in Russian. Amelia looked up slowly and weakly to her saviour. His eyes were closed, but she couldn't mistake the ultimate sadness in them. He opened them to look down at her. He smiled and pressed his cheek to her cheek. She could feel the light stubble on his skin.

He was not yelling at her, telling her she should not have come. He wasn't telling her how stupid an American she was. All her was doing was comforting her.

'Ivan…' she muttered. 'Thank you…'

'Shh…'

She did so. After a few minutes, she wriggled around so that he would loosen his grip. He did so only slightly. Amelia took the little opportunity to gaze down at herself. Only her jacket had been unzipped. Her top was still on and so were her pants. They were unzipped, but the button was not undone. The men's intentions flooded back to her and she buried her face in Ivan's chest. His heartbeat was clear. Without much thought, she looked at his arms and wondered what training her undertook to get them in such peak condition.

'Ivan…?'

'Hm?'

'W-what happened to those guys?'

'I knocked them out specially. They won't come round for a few hours, I promise.' He patted her gently on the back. 'Amelia, I'm so sorry…'

She shook her head. 'This is not your fault. Besides, I'm fine…'

'T-They almost –'

'But they didn't. You saved me. Thank you.'

Amelia kissed Ivan on the cheek and the Russian finally smiled.

'Let's go,' he said. 'Natalia has Arthur back at the house.'

Amelia's heart began to fly. That was why her car was not there. 'Arthur?! Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!'

As she stepped off the bed, still cloaked in Ivan's jacket, she saw one of her attackers lying unconscious on the floor, face down. She recoiled, but was scooped up by Ivan, who hurried past his work and down the two flights of stairs, past more kidnappers lying lifeless. He brought her out and into his car. He put on the seatbelt for her and as he jumped into the driver's seat, he took a mobile phone from the side door pocket. He dialled and waited. As he did, Amelia saw his scarf on the passenger floor.

He greeted the receiver with a different accent, a Texan one, it seemed. 'Hey! I have heard an almighty ruckus in the house I have just walked past! I think there's been a fight of some sort! You have to send police down immediately! …Yes! Yes, thank you! That's right… Thank you so much… Please hurry!'

He hung up and smirked at Amelia before manoeuvring out of the driveway and away from that house.

'Ivan…' Amelia muttered as she snuggled into his coat. She ignored the pain in her wrists. 'Thanks again…'

'I am just glad for your safety. Oh, Amelia…'

'Yeah?'

'Remind me. I need to destroy that phone I just used.'

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**Phew! There we go! Again, sorry for the delay. I'll get the next chapter up as soon as I can.**

**See you next time!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey all! Sorry about the slow updating. I get there eventually, but I have other things on my mind so this fiction gets pushed around a bit.**

**Here we go! Enjoy!**

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His emotions ran through him like a swarm of hornets eating away at his insides. The Russian girl (but did she mention she had spent most of her time in Belarus?) beside him was frightening, the walls around him threatened him but the new air felt good to him. Arthur was indeed relieved to be out of the house that held him as a prisoner for so long, but the fragmented excuses and reasons being delivered by this Natalia girl were beginning to frustrate him. He had not had a decent shower in a while, so he accepted the offer of one.

As the Englishman stood under the rain of warm water, good on his skin but slightly irritating to his scrapes and bruises, he thought of something Natalia said. While she told him about her role as a hired private detective in a somewhat cold manner, Arthur picked up on something that stayed in his head. Natalia had said something about a 'pipsqueak' with her brother. She had never elaborated on this, and Arthur in his stunned state at the time did not push the matter, but it was poking at him in his now more calmed conduct.

He got out of the en suite shower (this bedroom was to be his room for the current time) and saw a pile of clothes for him. Shirts and bottoms that were strikingly close to his taste. He buttoned up, wondering if the private detectives figured out his dress sense. He smiled for the first time in what could have easily been weeks.

Arthur examined himself in the bathroom mirror, seeing blonde hair which seemed lifeless and worn green eyes. He remembered the kidnapping only vaguely, being blindfolded and gagged very soon. He only recalled a dark world filled with threats and physical violence which blended into one unpleasant broth of history. Arthur leaned over the sink and vomited.

True to his nature, he immediately brushed his teeth thoroughly. He only then realised he was shaking.

A door opened and closed loudly. It sounded like the front door. Arthur wondered whether Natalia had gone out, but upon entering the bedroom and hearing her voice, he concluded otherwise. Another accompanied her, a man's. Arthur opened the door quietly, listening.

The man told Natalia, 'Would you be so kind as to make us some hot chocolate?'

'She should not have come, brother! Why do you have sympathy for this pipsqueak?' Natalia contended.

'Ivan, I'm fine…'

This voice was new… Arthur's eyes widened.

'You need rest, Amelia,' the man called 'Ivan' said.

Arthur found new energy and was standing at the top of the stairs. 'Amelia?!'

True as life, the young American girl he adored so much was standing at the bottom of the stairs, cloaked in a coat much too big for her. She looked up as he raced down the stairs, nearly tumbling on a few occasions.

Arthur pushed past all the doubt and flung his arms around her, quite possibly knocking the 'Ivan' man back in the process. Her small form against him was not unlike a deep breath of air after a long time submerged under water. Like that of a drowning man, it was something so unexpected that when it does come, he does not know how to handle it and ends up choking and coughing. Arthur hardly knew what to make of Amelia standing before him. All he could do was grab her and hold on to her like one would a precious stone they did not want to lose.

Amelia's voice sounded from his chest, her hands gripping the back of his shirt. 'A-Arthur… I'm so glad you're safe…'

Arthur leaned away from her and looked into her face. The blood fell from him. Her features were so much more serious than he had ever seen them. Her eyes, normally a soft, playful blue, were rough like some blue steel. Determined and hard. The smile she gave him was filled with tenderness but there was an edge to it that was not previously present. Her face had not been aged, but it had been changed in a way that was perhaps emotionally rooted.

What had his girl been through? Arthur cupped her cheeks in his hands. He stroked her skin with his thumbs and kissed her. She was unresponsive at first, but she warmed and responded. To kiss her like this… It was a dream tinted with darkness.

'Arthur…' she mumbled when they broke away from each other, '… I'm so glad to see you again.'

His heart swelled and he nuzzled her neck. 'Bloody hell… How I've missed that voice.'

'I've missed you, too,' the little voice responded, choked on something.

They kissed again, but Natalia's loud cough broke them apart.

'If you two are done, pipsqueak American, I shall show you to your room. Brother says you're staying the night. Hrm...' She beckoned with her arm and the girl in Arthur's embrace smiled to him.

She snuggled into his chest, reluctant to leave, but Natalia's firm repetition jolted her. Amelia gave him a sad smile. 'I'll be right back down, Arthur…'

He nodded and she began to follow Natalia.

Arthur put too many things together in his head at the one time. It nearly caused him to topple over. The coat around Amelia… What was it for? She had been shaking… What had happened? Arthur grabbed Amelia gently but firmly and spun her round to face him. He glanced down at her wrists, hidden always from his sight. His heart, still swollen with love, began to pound like footsteps thudding against the ground. He saw the tall Russian man move in the corner of his eye, but Arthur removed the coat in a flash of movement and he saw the cuts around her wrists. They were not deep and bloody, but they were there nonetheless. Something stabbed him in the stomach, and then the heart.

'W-what the bloody hell happened to her?!' His mind blurred into a series of never-breaking assumptions and theories. He turned to the tall Russian man. 'What happened to Amelia?!'

The Russian was unfazed. His purple eyes had seen this behaviour before, Arthur guessed. His eyebrows were creased only slightly. At last he responded. 'Amelia ran into a spot of trouble, but as you can see, she came out of it unharmed. I protected her.'

'P-protected her…?! From what did she need protecting? She shouldn't have…' He made to look at the cuts again, but Amelia had hidden them under the coat she had picked off the ground.

Natalia slid an arm around Amelia to guide her up the stairs. Amelia mouthed his name before she disappeared into her designated room.

The Russian spoke up again. 'Arthur. She is so happy to see you. She was going out of her mind worrying about you. Please, come into the front room and I shall bring you something to drink. Perhaps tea or coffee, or coco?'

Arthur's mind kept running. It eventually settled on a single thing. 'Coco, please.'

* * *

As he drank his coco, Arthur listened to Ivan as he told him of the events leading up to his rescue. He was told of Amelia hiring the Russian and of her suspicions surrounding Colin. Arthur heard of Amelia's stubbornness and determination (he raised a little smile, and was surprised to see Ivan had, too). He finally heard of the night of his rescue, though Ivan omitted what Arthur really wanted to know.

'What happened to Amelia, Ivan? Why does she have those cuts on her wrists?'

Ivan eyed the clock on the wall. Arthur thought it was probably a silent nudge that it was late and bed was a good idea, but he sat there, unwavering.

The Russian looked to Arthur's stone stare and shook his head. 'That is something only Amelia can tell you. I do not fully know her wishes. All I will say is it could have been so, so much worse if I had not been with her. Those scratches will heal quickly.'

'Do you want my thanks?'

'I only want you to appreciate. I want you to know how lucky you are,' Ivan said. 'She's a great girl.'

Arthur stared at the Russian as though it would spill more words from him, but it didn't. He looked to his fingers, still shaking in the aftermath. 'I know how lucky I am.' The tip of his nose began to sting and tears welled up in his eyes. Shock and relief blended. 'I… know…! I'm just sorry that she got involved in all of this…!'

'I don't mean to broach a sensitive subject, but do you know who hired these men to kidnap you?' Ivan asked.

Arthur found that he did not care much for the stone cold Russian, but he answered anyway. 'I'm not sure. All I know is that it was someone close to home. A work colleague or the likes.'

'I figured as much,' Ivan affirmed. 'Evidence suggests the kidnappers were fed personal information about you. They had some stuff in the house where they were keeping you. Natalia is going to check through it.'

'Let me ask you a question Ivan,' Arthur said sharply. 'Why did you allow Amelia along with you? Surely your professional stance should be to not allow the customers in the danger line?'

Ivan lay back in his chair, obviously studying Arthur. His purple eyes were deep with calculation. Resting his head in his hand, Ivan said, 'She's a very stubborn girl.'

'Your willpower must be weak,' Arthur retorted.

Ivan only chuckled coolly and Amelia bounced in, Natalia following in a more sluggish pace.

'Arthur,' the young girl cooed, wrapping her arms around him and snuggling up to him. 'How are you feeling?'

Careful not to spill the few remaining drops of his drink, Arthur returned her embrace and kissed the base of her neck. Amelia was wearing dark blue pyjamas that were very open around her neck. They must have been Natalia's.

'I'm fine,' Arthur chuckled. 'Just like I was earlier, you silly girl.'

Amelia cooed into his chest.

'I can see the air is too pink right now,' Natalia groaned. 'Things can wait until morning. I'm going to bed.'

'Natalia,' Amelia called as the Russian girl was half out of the door. 'Thank you.'

Natalia only grunted in reply before her footsteps could be heard making their way up the staircase.

Ivan got up. 'Amelia, is there anything you need before I retire as well?'

Arthur looked to him.

'I'm fine. Oh, Ivan…' Amelia jumped up and wrapped her arms around the Russian. 'Thank you…'

Somewhere, though he could not pinpoint it, Arthur felt a lump of stone form within him. He was ashamed of himself for thinking this way, but he was only human, he reminded himself. He was only a human prone to losing himself in an emotional eddy.

Ivan gave Amelia a pat on the back. 'You're more than welcome, child. Now, go to bed.'

'Oh! Ivan!' Amelia squeaked. 'You need to destroy the, eh…'

Ivan chuckled. 'Already done.'

He left, and Arthur wanted nothing more than to sit there all night with Amelia in his arms. Her form against him was like a surreal drug. After so long living under the hand of fear, Arthur was ready to embrace all that was great about life once more. But he knew the young girl would have to get to bed. He was exhausted, too.

Still, there were questions.

'What happened to your wrists, Amelia?' Arthur asked, running his fingers through her hair.

Amelia slowly slid them from under the long sleeves of the night shirt and showed tight, efficient dressing over the little marks. 'Makes it look much worse than it is.'

Arthur moved a fingertip over one dressing.

'… I was only shaken a bit. Rough-handled,' Amelia muttered.

Arthur's throat tightened. He resisted making an angry noise. Not at Amelia. At whatever bastard hurt her.

'Ivan shouted at me, so don't blame him, please.' Amelia nuzzled Arthur. 'It was all my fault.'

He argued only with a stare, and brought her closer into his chest. A small, warm body… It nearly brought tears to his eyes – it was not something he thought he would ever feel again, her form. He hugged her tightly, only breaking away when she mumbled something to him regarding lack of air.

They shared a small laugh and kissed.

'I'm… so happy,' Amelia said, eyes glazed with tears.

Arthur could hardly respond in words. He kissed her a few more times before glancing up at the clock. It was late.

He whispered this to Amelia, and although she made a few near-silent protests, she got up and they walked up the stairs to their rooms, which were on opposite ends of the corridors. Amelia moved her fingers over his face, sending a thrill through the Englishman. He had missed her so much.

'I'm so happy,' Amelia repeated.

'I'm happy, too,' Arthur replied. He brushed Amelia's hair from her eyes. It was as wild as he remembered it, but it had definitely grown. 'Amelia.'

They leaned in and kissed one another.

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**I'm not sure I did a good job, but anyway.**

**I'll post the next chapter as soon as I can.**

**Thank you! **


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